Akiyama Ryo: The Story of My Life
by Ultimateblack
Summary: As Christmas draws near, Akiyama Ryo begins to think about his past. An encounter with his fellow tamers prompts him to recount the tale of how he was drawn into a world of Digimon and his becoming of a Tamer. Novelisation of the Wonderswan Games
1. Prologue

Prologue

 _A/N: Hello, everyone! I know, you'd be thinking why I started a new story when I am only in the VERY early stages of my two stories LFAW and MotOS. However, this story bugged me a lot and I couldn't help but get started on it. Besides, it's almost Christmas! I wanted to write something winter themed :D_

 _DISCLAIMER: I don't own Digimon, and all information about Ryo can be found through google. I am merely forming a story based on the Wonderswan games._

* * *

 _As of December 2001, it was little over a month since the Tamers defeated the D-Reaper and were separated from their partners. Shinjuku had recovered surprisingly quickly from the anomaly that wrecked a large part of the city. The children had returned to their daily lives, and all was well. Memories of the fun times they shared were fresh in their minds and each night before they slept, they would think about the Digimon, longing to be reunited once again._

 _As for a certain Tamer, he recalled more than just happy memories. That Tamer, was none other than Akiyama Ryo. He had experienced more than just the D-Reaper and a few hard months in the Digital World. He was not a saviour of one, but two universes. Now, he is back to being an ordinary boy but the days of being a Tamer and earlier on, a Chosen, would forever be with him…_

* * *

The chilly evening air blew across Shinjuku, causing the citizens to pull their coats tighter over them. The pedestrians picked up the pace and hurried to their destinations, eager to escape the bone-chilling cold outside. The business of coffee shops bloomed as more customers stopped by to get hot drinks since It was two weeks away from Christmas and people had to leave the warmth of their homes and go out to do some shopping.

Akiyama Ryo strolled down the pavement outside the shops. He wore a brown winter jacket and orange earmuffs. The boy looked through the glass windows and seeing various discounted goods for sale. Almost all the stores were decorated with wreaths, baubles and trees, adding to the festive atmosphere that filled the air.

Ryo smiled, thinking back to the Christmas he had a couple of years ago. He'd have never thought that he would be spending the occasion alone back then. Well, he technically wasn't alone since he had his adoptive parents, but he missed his real parents. He wondered how they were doing right now. Every once in a while he would look up into the sky and think about them. It pained him to think that they had probably given up on finding him and would have to spend another Christmas without their son.

Ryo shook his head. He would give anything to go back and visit them, to let them know that he was safe. Also, he wondered how his old pal Ken was holding up. Last time they saw each other, it was after Milleniummon was defeated and Ken had become very sickly.

A pang of guilt struck Ryo. _People seem to get hurt because of me,_ he thought sadly.

Two stores away, a door opened and two familiar faces stepped out, carrying a few paper bags. Upon seeing their happy faces, Ryo put on his smile and strode over.

Matsuda Takato was talking to Lee Jenliang, the former wore a red jacket while Lee sported a green one. Then they noticed Ryo walking towards them. Takato raised his free hand and waved. "Hello, Ryo-san!" he said while Jianliang just smiled politely.

"Hello, Takato, Jianliang. Doing Christmas shopping, are you?"

Takato nodded. "Yup, there was a sale going on so we got some chocolates." Ryo looked at the shop they just exited and saw the various chocolates displayed on the shelves. Most of them had 20% discount labels.

Ryo grinned and asked Takato. "Did you get some special ones for Kato-san?"

Takato blushed at the mention of the girl he liked. "Ah-h, yes. I did get her the ones she liked," he mumbled.

Jianiang smiled at Takato's reaction. It was quite clear that the goggle-bearing boy had feelings for his classmate. Still, Takato always went red when Juri was brought up. To save his friend the embarrassment, Jianliang asked, "What brings you out here, Ryo-san?"

The older boy shrugged. "I was bored so I came out to pass time. Maybe I'll stop by the video game store later to check out what new games they have."

Takato brightened and said, "That's great! We have the evening to ourselves as well. Why don't we go for dinner together? I know a good place."

Ryo checked his watch. It was six thirty already, but he had much time to kill anyway. "Sure, why not?"

The trio found stopped by a cafe two streets away. Takato knew the shop owner since he visited quite often last time before the D-Reaper incident. The boy rarely witnessed the shop so busy, though it was a normal occurrence during celebrations and holidays. People shuffled in and out, most bought drinks and left, others sat down and chatted merrily as they enjoyed their beverages and food.

"Oh, hello Takato. Welcome, my dear boy," the cashier and owner, Mr Hamada said with a grin. "Oi, Daigo! Get these Takato and his friends some seats!"

A young man with spiky green hair that looked about 17 walked out, wearing a waiter's uniform. He smiled and showed them to an empty table large enough for four. "It's great to see you again, Matsuda-san. You haven't visited for some time. Take your time to choose your order, I'll be back soon" He handed them menus and walked off to wait on another table.

Jianliang scanned the menu careful, looking for the food that suited his fancy and finally decided on a carbonara pasta and green tea. Ryo flipped through the pages and found his favourite Guangzhou style fried rice and carrot milk. Takato didn't even need to look at the menu. He had his usual Salmon Don with extra onions and a strawberry milkshake in mind.

After Daigo took their orders, Takato turned towards Ryo. "Hey, Ryo-san… We don't really know much about your past. What was it like, alone in the Digital World for a few months?"

Ryo leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling fan above. "Well, you could say that it was tough, but it wasn't that bad. I had a lot of experience surviving in the Digital World prior to that."

Jianliang interrupted, "Wait, you had been to the Digital World _before_ being called into it by Monodramon?"

Ryo cocked his head. "You could say that."

"You three derps are here too?" A familiar female voice came from behind Ryo. Makino Ruki stepped towards the trio. Although her tone was sharp, she had a faint smirk on her face.

Ryo turned around and greeted her with a grin. "Ah, the Digimon Queen is here. Care to join us for dinner?"

Ruki raised an eyebrow coyly. "Well, seeing that all the other tables are taken, I have no choice but to crash your party, Mr Sunshine." She pulled out the chair next to Ryo and slid into it. She raised her hand and Daigo came over to take her order. She skimmed through the menu and selected Hamada's Signature Spicy Fried Rice along with a tropical fruit juice.

"Fried rice and juice, huh? You have good taste, just like me," Ryo commented. Ruki glared at him.

Takato hurriedly changed the subject before the two started to bicker. "So Ruki, what're doing out here? Are you shopping for Christmas as well?"

Ruki shook her head. "Gods, no. I despise shopping, especially when my mother drags me on those shop-till-you-drop outings. I just came out for a walk and happened to meet you three here for dinner."

Ryo looked slightly bemused. He knew how Ruki disliked being forced into doing girly stuff like shopping, modelling and dressing up. The girl noticed his look and raised a questioning eyebrow. He turned away quickly.

Jianliang cleared his throat and said, "Ryo-san, if you don't mind, please tell us about your past adventures."

Ruki snorted. "What's there to know? He probably just had a hell of a time beating up Digimon and loading data like I once did. That Cyberdramon was a beast."

Ryo gave her a hard look. "Ruki-chan, please you don't speculate what you have no knowledge of."

Ruki snapped at Ryo, "Well what did you do then? What happened before you beat me in the tournament and vanished? Why don't you tell us now, Mr Perfect?"

Ryo looked down at his legs and didn't answer. Takato held up his hands and tried to pacify Ruki. "Ruki, calm down. I'm sure Ryo-san has his reasons." He was stopped by Ryo who raised a palm.

"It is okay, Takato. It's time I told someone about my past." He took a deep breath. "It all started about two years ago, during that fateful Christmas day…"

* * *

 _A/N: This prologue is a lot shorter because the characters are already established and we needn't know more about them, Ryo aside._

 _The reason why I wrote this story is because I recently developed an interest in the backstory of certain side characters. Also, I noticed that many Digimon fans are unclear about the history of Ryo and how DA02 works. Most of these "plot holes" in the anime (02 especially) that we complain about are actually non-existent. My stories have the purpose of exposing readers to the details that tend to be glossed over. For example, many have at least heard of Ryo and Milleniummon but are unclear about how it is tied to the series. Also, there are so many canon Japan only CD-dramas that cover the plot points left unattended in the series. It seems that people don't know too much about them because of the lack of translations, so I intend to flesh out stories and explore those extensions from the franchise that we all love._

 _I got most of the information about Ryo online, and extensive digging can really produce results. If you're interested, you can visit Tv Tropes and look up the game stories to know more._

 _That being said, thank you for reading. Are you excited to know more about Ryo? Do you want to see more of him and read about his adventures in the Digital World? Please leave a review and tell me what you think._

 _Ultimateblack, signing out._


	2. Chapter 1

_A/N: 02 is definitely one of my favorite seasons. It is less flawed than most people think and if you do a lot of research, you'll find that many 'plotholes' were actually covered by external media. For example, the appearance of Ryo in 02 was a nod to the WonderSwan games. Many people didn't know about it and were confused and angry. You'll find that the games are crucial and tie in Adventure and 02 in a beautiful infinity loop. If you studied it you'll know what I mean, otherwise you'll find out in time if you follow this story ;) Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter. It was fun to write._

 _DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON AND THE WONDERSWAN GAMES. I AM JUST WRITING THIS STORY BY FLESHING OUT THE SOURCE MATERIAL._

* * *

Chapter 1:

The Digital Limbo is a place where space and time is inconsequential. It is a place where deleted Digimon drift towards before being reborn. In that place, a certain dying Digimon fizzled in and out of existence. His data merged and dispersed randomly, solidifying his limbs and dissolving them immediately. The place he was in was dark and empty, void of light and life. As he struggled to retain his consciousness, a thought formed in his mind.

 _Is this the end of the mighty MugenDramon? Is it my destiny to remain in limbo until the end of time?_

Hope of being starting anew was dashed. The fallen Dark Master would have chuckled at the notion if he could. It was ironic that he who destroyed and nullified The Village of Beginnings would have thoughts about being reborn. Who would have thought that one day, he would die at the hands of a lowly Ultimate Level Digimon.

Piedmon… Pinnochimon… Metalseadramon… His former comrades had dissolved completely into nothingness. They too had had no chance at being reborn. Now their data scattered across this abyss that MugenDramon was in, so diminished that they couldn't possibly reform again. Soon, he would join them and fade eventually.

 _Damn that Wargreymon… If only I could rise again and take my revenge…_

Suddenly, a voice penetrated the darkness. "Oh, so you have regrets as well?"

MugenDramon strained to detect the source of the voice. However, his deteriorated body would not allow it. "Who are you?" he spoke as hard as he could, but unlike his previously solid resounding voice, it sounded like a weak grunt.

The voice chuckled darkly. "I am no different from you. I was once a magnificent creature with enormous power, but I suffered defeat at the hands of the cursed Chosen Children…"

Anger coursed through MugenDramon. His left claw momentarily formed before it broke again. "So you were killed by those meddling children too?"

"Oh yes, I was destroyed by their unexpected power. How I long to strike back and annihilate them…"

MugenDramon fell silent. "But it is impossible to rise from this void. You and I are destined to mourn ourselves until we are erased completely. Vengeance is nothing but wishful thinking."

"Is that so?" the voice said amusedly. "There is an ancient technique, one that allows two Digimon to merge and become a greater power, one strong enough to rise from the depths of hell. It is called Jogress."

MugenDramon felt his excitement rise. "Is it possible for us to unlock this technique?"

"I have not tried, but I am sure it is. We can do it only if we are synchronised in mind. Tell me, do you wish to take your revenge? Do you lust to unleash your rage on the Chosen Children?"

The dying cyborg thought back to the pain inflicted to his mortal body and the loss he felt at the demise of his comrades. Anger began to swell in him. "Yes, I do. I swear I will make them pay for what they have done," MugenDramon vowed.

"Good, then we have common intentions," the voice drawled. "Merge with me, the supreme Kimeramon and we shall return to the world of the living as an omnipotent being! Focus your anger, let it consume you!" he let out a guttural roar.

MugenDramon channelled his anger and concentrated on one thought: kill the Chosen Children and retake the Digital World. He felt his data get pulled apart and his body disintegrated completely. The void was vanishing and the darkness was starting to vanish. His consciousness merged with another being's as two minds became one. His grasp of reality began to slip away…

In the deepest regions of the Digital World, bits of data streamed from all directions into a colossal Digitama. The shell was coloured purple, black and grey and they swirled chaotically. As more data gathered, the egg grew in size. Finally, it cracked and the shell shattered into dissolving bits. The monster within had finally awakened.

The newly Jogressed Digimon roared, as if informing the Digital World that the devil had appeared and that all living creatures should fear its wrath.

For their sake, they really should, because a new enemy had appeared, one that would take more than the Chosen Children to stop.

Nothing would stand in Milleniummon's way to world domination.

* * *

 _New Year's Eve, 1999_

Dusk fell in the evening sky. The turn of the millennium was approaching and everybody was excited. Workers rushed home to celebrate the countdown with their families. The owners of shops everywhere prepared to close for the day as less customers began to turn up.

Somewhere in Shinjuku, there lived a certain boy named Ryo Akiyama. He was the only child in the family, which meant he got a lot of attention. So it wasn't really surprising that his father bought him a brand new laptop for Christmas. The boy had spent the last five days tinkering with it, checking out what programs it offered. There was that one time he accidentally caused his the screen saver to run through some embarrassing photos he downloaded and he had to lock himself in his room for a whole hour to figure out how to reset it.

So by New Year's Eve, Ryo had completely familiarised himself with the electronic device. He enjoyed surfing online (literally as well, as he came across a surfing game that he enjoyed immensely) and chatting with his friends. They were very surprised when Ryo popped into the chat room one day and declared his presence.

Ryo was in his room on the second floor of his house. He sat at his desk in front of the window, using his new computer. He leaned back and yawned. It was 9.20pm and his dad wasn't back yet. He had gotten bored of playing online games and there wasn't much to do. He briefly considered getting a book to read before a chat box popped up. His friends had come online at the same time, to his surprise.

 _ **TAKE: Hey, guys! (SMILEY)**_

 _ **UK: Oi, Takeda! Nice of you to come online. (BIG GRIN)**_

 _ **MAA-KUN: Hello Uto-kun, Takeda-kun. Ryo-kun, are you there? (SHY)**_

Ryo smiled. It was always great to talk to his friends. They used all abbreviations of their names for their ID's, but it was enough to identify them. Takeda was obviously TAKE, while UK stood for Uto Kurosaki. MAA-KUN was a nice girl named Mari. She was humble and polite, so Ryo always enjoyed speaking with her, be it online or in class. He began to type:

 _ **RYO: Yes, Mari. I've been online for more than an hour. Is everybody here?**_

 _ **TAKE: Well, it's just us. Haruka and Shinji aren't free to come online. Haruka is away visiting her relatives in Singapore. I don't know what Shinji is doing, but he's probably too lazy to turn on the computer. (BORED)**_

 _ **UK: Speak for yourself, Takeda. You are in no position to judge.**_

 _ **TAKE: What do you mean? (ANGRY)**_

 _ **UK: You shouldn't comment on others being lazy. You've gotten yourself sent out of class for not doing your homework enough times to get a warning letter.**_

 _ **TAKE: That wasn't my fault! My dog ate my homework!**_

 _ **MAA-KUN: But Takeda-kun, you don't have a dog…**_

 _ **TAKE: It was a stray!**_

Ryo snickered to himself. That was just like Takeda to make up excuses to defend his forgetfulness. He read on as the conversation continued. He couldn't resist joining in.

 _ **Ryo: I thought you said it was yours? (WINK)**_

 _ **TAKE: It was, but I took it in and took care of it!**_

 _ **UK: Whatever, Takeda. Nobody believes you anyway.**_

 _ **TAKE: Hey, at least the teacher did!**_

 _ **UK: For what, the first two of fifty times you used that lame excuse? Please.**_

 _ **MAA-KUN: Guys… Please don't fight. It's New Year's Eve. (SAD)**_

 _ **TAKE: Hmph, fine.**_

 _ **UK: Okay, okay… Hey, do you guys remember the weird incident we had this summer?**_

Ryo thought for a moment. True enough, there were anomalies occurring throughout the world. Japan had not been spared.

 _ **MAA-KUN: The earthquakes? Yeah, our town got wrecked… I heard that other places had droughts, strange weather and tsunamis. I wonder what happened… (WORRIED)**_

 _ **UK: My dad said it was a terrorist attack. I knew something didn't add up.**_

 _ **TAKE: Terrorists don't create earthquakes. I heard that people are saying it's because of Digimon.**_

 _ **UK: No way! Are you kidding me?**_

Ryo frowned. He had heard about Digimon before. There were reports worldwide about the sky being torn open and another world could be glimpsed. He had seen it himself as well.

 _ **MAA-KUN: How could they blame the Digimon!? Are they nuts?**_

 _ **TAKE: Calm down. It was Taichi something who said it. Truth be told, I'm mad at him for blaming the Digimon as well. YukiAgumon would be furious too.**_

Ryo blinked. YukiAgumon? What is Takeda talking about? He didn't get the chance to ask because the power sizzled and his screen went dark. The lights in his room had gone out to. He stood up and looked out of the window. Streetlamps and the lights of houses of the housing area were disappearing rapidly, creating a veil of darkness outside.

"What is going on? Is it a power shortage? It had better not fry my new laptop" Ryo groused. _Well, there goes my entertainment until the count down,_ he thought. Suddenly, he heard a voice coming from his computer.

"Ryo… Help me, Ryo… RYO!" The screen had come back to life despite not being connected to the power source. The monitor showed a weirdly shaped yellow reptile with green eyes in its oversized head, waving its arms frantically.

The boy in question felt his jaw drop. He had never seen anything like it before. Could it be one of those creatures that were called Digimon?

"Ryo, you have to help me! Taichi, Yamato, the others… They're all captured! Please, help us!" The lizard pleaded.

Ryo recalled Taichi's name coming up in the conversation with his friends earlier, but he was too distracted at the moment to pay heed. Things got weirder when the monitor warped and spat out a white device on the keyboard. Ryo gaped at the thing as if it was a bomb.

"What the heck is that thing?" Ryo asked.

The lizard-dinosaur-like thing replied, "It's a Digivice. Touch it, quickly! We need your help!"

"I'm not touching it! What's going on here?" Ryo shrieked.

"Please, you're our only hope. You have to help us!" The creature was almost in tears now. Ryo's expression softened a bit. It really needed his help, he could see the desperation in its eyes. Tentatively, Ryo reached out to the Digivice and shrank back a little.

"Here goes nothing!" He forced himself to grab it. As soon as his hand clasped the white device, it shone brightly. He felt himself getting sucked into the monitor and he tumbled through cyberspace, screaming his head off. The computer fizzled and powered down after that.

A while later, Ryo's mother knocked on his door and said. "Ryo? The breaker was shut off. Can you take a look at it?" When she didn't get an answer, she called again. Finally, she opened the door and peeked inside, using a flashlight. To her surprise, she found the room dark and vacant.

"Hey, Ryo? Where did you go? Ryo? Ryo? Oh well, he must have gone out without me knowing it." Mrs Akiyama shrugged. She shone the flashlight at the clock which showed 9.37 pm and hoped both her son and husband would be back before the countdown started.

* * *

 _A/N: There we go, a short chapter. This story will have much shorter chapters compared to my other two, LFAW and MotOS. I can't manage lengthy chapters for all three stories, so this one will be shorter and will hopefully be updated more frequently._

 _So what did you think of my interpretation of the game? This is just the beginning. I will stay loyal to the storyline, only changing minimally. The game was simple, but when it comes to writing there is so much that can be added._

 _That's all, folks. Leave a review to tell me what you think. Merry Christmas and adios till the next update!_


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

 _A/N: Howdy! Look who's back for an update. :D I had been so busy until recently that I hadn't had much time to write anything. As promised, here's a new chapter! If you're following my other stories LFAW and MOTOS, then I'm sorry but those will have to wait a while longer because inspiration struck and had me change some stuff for LFAW and I have writer's block for MOTOS._

 _Anyway, I recently reread my source of information for this story and noticed I left out some tiny details. Although I promised to be loyal to the source material, I prefer to tinker to suit my head-canon. For example, in the original Agumon commented on Ryo bring on his dad's computer, but in my story Ryo was on HIS own. Some minor changes will be presented here and there, so I hope you all will be on the lookout for such details ;) That's all, please enjoy!_

 _DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON AND THE WONDERSWAN GAMES. TRANSLATION CREDIT GOES TO AJORA, THE EXPERT ON THESE GAMES. I'M JUST A STORYTELLER ;)_

* * *

"Ryo? Wake up, Ryo!"

The boy in mention gradually opened his eyes. Above him, the leaves on the trees bristled as a gentle breeze blew across the sky. Clouds drifted slowly, giving off a lazy feeling, which was exactly what Ryo felt. He could have lay there forever, gazing into the sky until he dozed off if it wasn't for that annoying voice nearby that kept pestering him to get up.

"Ryo! Oh, come on!" The voice grew irritated and Ryo felt a hard shove to his right arm.

"Ouch! Knock it off, I'm awake!" Ryo shot up into a sitting position and rubbed his sore biceps tenderly. He turned to glare at whoever hit him and found a huge yellow dinosaur staring back at him. With a screech he scrambled backwards on all fours until he was backed against a tree. The creature took a few steps towards him, making him shrink back more.

"Wha—What are you? Where am I?" Ryo managed to ask.

The reptilian monster snorted. It said in a low voice, barely enough for Ryo to hear him, "Hah, and I thought Taichi acted weird when we first met. Seems like all humans are the same after all." Out loud, he spoke in a raspy male voice, "I'm Agumon. You're Ryo, right? I've been waiting for you."

The name seemed to jump start Ryo. He remembered hearing that name before he fell unconscious. "Agumon… Is this a dream? It all seems so real." He looked down and touched the grass beneath him. The green blades felt fresh and cool to his fingers.

Agumon shook his head. "This isn't a dream. You're in a real place called the Digital World. It's an actual place in the Digital Network of the machines in your world."

Ryo surveyed his surroundings. It looked no different compared to a normal forest on Earth. "The Digital World huh… Are you sure I am not imagining this?" he asked.

The Digimon trod over and poked Ryo in the arm, making the boy wince slightly. "Does the place where I kicked you hurt?"

Ryo rolled up his sleeve and checked his arm. A small bruise was forming where the little twerp had kicked him! However, his annoyance dissipated when he realised that the bruise was indeed there and his arm hurt. He stood up and walked past Agumon, who followed and asked where he was going.

"If this place is real then I need to find a way to get home. The New Year's countdown is going to start in a few hours and mom is probably wondering where I went," he said without looking back.

Agumon ran in front of Ryo, stopping him in his tracks. "You can't just leave! I have been waiting for you! I need your help!"

"You need my help… Hey, you appeared on my computer and asked me to touch that white thing." Ryo recalled. He searched his body for it and found that the Digivice had mysteriously ended up in his pocket. He took it out and showed it to Agumon.

Agumon nodded urgently. "That's right, I came to you for help."

"And what exactly do you need my help for?"

Agumon's eyes grew wide, his pupils shrinking. He began to tremble all over and wave his arms frantically. "It's supposed to be all over. The Digital World was supposed to be back to normal after we defeated Apocalymon. Somehow Mugendramon came back as Milleniummon, but I had deleted him myself! The restored time axis was affected and our enemies were revived!" he babbled.

Ryo understood none of that. He crouched down and gripped Agumon's small bony shoulders. "Whoa, slow down buddy. Can you explain slowly? Take a deep breath."

Agumon stopped talking and inhaled deeply. He seemed to calm down. "The Digital World's time axis… It went screwy and now another world has been created. Mugendramon has somehow come back as Milleniummon, but he shouldn't have! He combined with another dead Digimon and became one…"

The explanation this time round was clearer, but Ryo still didn't make much sense of it. "Okay… I don't really get it but it sounds bad."

Just then, the ground shook violently. Ryo and Agumon lost their balance and fell on their sides. "It's an earthquake!" Ryo yelled.

Things got worse when the earth began to crack. Splits in the ground wormed their way towards Ryo and Agumon, who couldn't get up in time. A chasm opened up underneath them and the two fell in, screaming for dear life.

They landed hard on their stomachs. Miraculously, the falling rocks and soil from above had missed them. The shaking subsided and the ground became stable again. Agumon got up and helped Ryo up, the latter dusted himself off. "Ryo, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What just happened? That was one heck of an earthquake." Ryo said. They were at the bottom of the chasms, which was quite deep. He could see the bright sky above and light could still reached them.

Agumon answered, "Yeah, the Digital World is getting awful. Data is in odd places, causing floods and earthquakes and abnormal weather. It's horrible."

Ryo thought that it sounded familiar. In fact, his friends had been talking about it online. "Hey, our world is having the same problem too. The weather is far too unpredictable and the borders of the Sahara Desert got flooded. Can you imagine that?"

Agumon grunted. "That's not surprising. The real world is closed tied to the Digital World. The only way to fix that is to defeat Milleniummon…" he faltered for a second but his determined expression return. The moment of weakness didn't go unnoticed by Ryo though, for he eyed Agumon concernedly.

Ryo walked up to the rocky wall and touched it. He scanned the surface of the split ground and spotted ledges that he could grab hold of. "Well, let's start by getting out of here," he said and grabbed onto a handhold. With a grunt he heaved himself off the ground and began to scale his way up.

Agumon tried to do the same, but his claws and feet were oddly shaped and unsuitable for climbing. He gave up and called for Ryo. "Ryo, I can't climb like you do!"

The boy stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look. He was already seven feet off the ground. He sighed and lowered himself back down. He beckoned for Agumon to get on his back. Like a mother koala carrying her baby, they slowly made their way up to the top. Thankfully Agumon wasn't too heavy, otherwise they would have been stuck down there till forever.

After his limbs no longer felt like lead, Ryo asked. "So do we go then? We can't stay here."

"You're right. We have to go find Gennai. He should be in the village, which is not too far from here. Come on, follow me!"

The duo got up and began their trek to the village, with Agumon taking the lead. They walked down a small forest path and soon, Ryo could see a few tiny buildings in the distance. He smiled, thinking he may be able to get some food and water, perhaps even a good rest.

Out of a sudden, Agumon halted his steps. He glanced around and held up a paw to stop Ryo. "Wait. Do you hear that?"

 _Hear what?_ Ryo thought. He closed his eyes and focused on the sounds around him. He heard leaves rustling and crickets chirping in the woods, which didn't seem out of the ordinary. He listened harder and detected a soft buzzing noise. It was the sound of insect wings and it was growing louder by the second. It was coming from above from his eight o'clock. He opened his eyes and jerked his head in that direction. True enough, a colossal red stag-beetle was zooming in on them.

"That's a Kuwagamon! Ryo, get down!" Agumon pulled Ryo downwards with all his might, and the stag-beetle swooped past them, bringing forth a gust of wind. Kuwagamon flew back up and circled round for another attack. Agumon stood in front of Ryo, saying, "Don't worry, I'll protect Ryo."

Ryo got back on his feet. "You will protect me? What can you even do to _that thing?_ "

Agumon gave his human companion a confident grin. "No worries. I have fought tougher enemies than Kuwagamon. This should be a piece of cake. You get to safety, I'll handle this." He turned towards his Adult level opponent as Ryo went for the cover of the trees. Kuwagamon swooped in a second time, its pincers clacking menacingly. Ryo spotted a mouth with sharp teeth.

Agumon leapt out of the way as Kuwagamon dived at him. "Baby Flame!" He opened his mouth and shot a few fireballs at the insect Digimon but they missed their target. Kuwagamon landed in front of Agumon and stepped towards its prey. Agumon looked up at the hulking figure before him and bared his teeth, trying to look intimidating.

Kuwagamon tried to grab Agumon but the Child Digimon was small and agile. He leapt onto his larger opponent's arm and ran up to the forearm. He shot a Baby Flame at the stag-beetle's head which did little damage. The hard outer shell protected its head from attacks.

The Kuwagamon shook its arm, throwing off Agumon and with a spin of its head it knocked the wind out of the little dinosaur. Agumon crash landed and struggled to get up. He barely rolled out of the way as Kuwagamon leapt forth to crush him.

 _Darn it, I really can't do anything without Taichi's help. I overestimated myself. If only I could Evolve…_ Agumon thought.

Ryo stood helplessly, watching his new friend dodge furious attacks from the monster. "There must be a way to defeat him. Come on, what's your weak spot?" he muttered. Then he spotted it, a crack on the shell protecting the Kuwagamon's left shoulder. Soft flesh was exposed beneath the damaged exoskeleton.

"Agumon, aim for his left shoulder!" Ryo yelled.

Agumon looked at Ryo and towards the Kuwagamon's left side. "I got it!" he replied as he waited for the chance to strike. The stag-beetle lashed out with its left arm, exposing his weakness. Agumon fired a Spitfire attack at it, causing the Kuwagamon to recoil and rear its head back, roaring in agony. Spitfire didn't usually do much damage, but it did cause Kuwagamon a great deal of pain.

Ryo threw his fist into the air. "Alright! Take him down now!" Agumon unleashed a volley of fireballs at his opponent. The attacks hit Kuwagamon's underbelly directly making it howl. The sound made Ryo shudder, reminding him of an animal being abused.

Finally, the Adult level Digimon went limp and fell face first onto the ground. The battle was over. Agumon sighed in relief. He went over to where Ryo stood by the fallen Kuwagamon. The boy had a troubled look on his face.

"Did we kill it?" Ryo asked Agumon who shook his head.

"No, it's just knocked out. If a Digimon died, it would have shattered into data and be reborn in the Village of Beginnings," he explained.

Ryo asked curiously about what the Village of Beginnings was. He had never heard of it.

Agumon shook his head again. "I'll try my best to explain everything later. For now we need to get to that place over there." He pointed towards the small village on the horizon where they were headed to. After a pause, he said, "By the way, thank you. I couldn't have defeated that Kuwagamon without your help."

A smile graced Ryo's face. He replied, "You're welcome. That's what you called me for, right?" He held out his hand and Agumon shook it.

The two of them resumed their trek, the day's battle still fresh in their minds. For Agumon it was just another day in the Digital World, fighting alongside a human against wild Digimon. As for Ryo, it was the start of what would be a thrilling yet dangerous adventure.

* * *

 _A/N: That's all for today, hope you enjoyed. Writing this story is a break of my major ones. This is easier to manage compared to LFAW and MOTOS. Don't worry, those two are coming along fine (at least LFAW is. I'm stuck on MOTOS). As always, please leave a review and tell me what you think. See you all in the next update._


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Ryo felt thirsty, sweaty and just plain tired. The duo had been walking for a while now. The village was a lot further away then it seemed. The sun was setting and if there didn't make it in time, it would be dangerous to brave the night.

"We're here," Agumon said.

Ryo looked around. The shadows that he had spotted earlier and assumed were buildings were actually ruins. There were claw marks, scorches and sharp metal objects scattered across the rubble. No signs of life were seen anywhere.

"What happened here?" Ryo asked as he scanned their surroundings.

Agumon sighed sadly. He explained, "While all of us were fighting against evil, we couldn't help to oversee everything that went on in the Digital World. A rogue group of bad Digimon took over this place. It wasn't until Taichi and the rest were called back to the Digital World to defeat Milliniummon that we realised this place was under the control of bad guys. This place is the result of the wrestle for control from them."

The yellow dinosaur kicked a piece of rubble in front of him. "They fought dirty. Instead of picking a fair fight, they laid waste to this place. We had to evacuate and relocate the Digimon living here. Taichi was really, really angry. In the end we defeated the bad Digimon but we couldn't save this place."

Ryo placed a hand on the wall of a burnt building, trying to picture faceless and shapeless creatures destroying the village. He lifted his hand and dusted his palms. He asked Agumon, "So are we going to camp here? There's no-one around."

Agumon bared his teeth in a grin. "Of course not. The place we're heading towards is actually hidden around the corner. Come on!" He turned and ran to the edge off the village ruins. Ryo followed until the came to a stop at the top of a slope. When Ryo spotted their destination, his mouth fell open.

"Whoa…" he breathed.

The new location of the village was at the foot of the mountain, situated at the centre of a valley. A river flowed past it, and there were quite many buildings. It was as large as a small town, covering more ground compared to its previous location. In addition to the late evening sun shining its rays across the place, it was a magnificent sight indeed. Agumon headed down a small path and Ryo hurried after him.

"Do you live here, Agumon?" Ryo questioned.

"Not exactly. My friends and I normally stay in Gennai's house far from here but sometimes we follow him on a trip to other places. He has a house here as well."

Other than a tall wooden fence around the village, there was virtually no other defence mechanism available. Ryo asked if they weren't afraid of another attack and Agumon replied that the village had its protectors and he needn't worry about it. The boy felt sceptical but he didn't question it any further. They made their way towards the centre of the village. Some of the buildings had really unique designs and looked comfortable. Others took form of huge household products. Ryo witnessed a white coloured Agumon open the door of his building sized refrigerator and walk in. Ryo managed to catch a glimpse of the internal design, which was nothing at all like the home appliance.

 _I guess that gives living in a fridge a whole new meaning,_ Ryo thought.

The place was quite busy and lively with all sorts of Digimon present. Small Digimon chased each other around the streets, a Monochromon stomped past pulling a cart filled with what Ryo assumed was fruit. Merchants hollered about their cheap sales and Ryo sniggered when he heard "Buy two for the price of three and get one absolutely free!" However, he noticed the stares of the villagers as he walked past. There were whispers of "It's a new human", "Do you think it can help us?" and "Only one human? We're doomed". He pretended not to hear them and hurried along behind Agumon.

They took a few turns and stopped in front of a cottage. It was single-storied and had a chimney on the roof. On the garden outside grew various beautiful flowers and there was a pebble-laden pathway to the door. On the veranda sat an old man in a dark green armchair, surrounded by a few Digimon that sat on the ground listening to him. Ryo spotted a floating ball of flames, another Agumon but made of colourful Lego blocks, what seemed to be a giant toad with a red fin and a black ball of fur with yellow eyes. He lifted his wrinkly face and smiled faintly at the newcomers. The Digimon all turned to the direction he was looking at and excitedly bounded towards Ryo and Agumon.

The ball of flames hovered around Ryo, inspecting him closely. The heat it radiated wasn't blazing hot, in fact it was merely warm. Ryo didn't think it would talk as its mouth was stitched close, until it surprised him by firing away in a squeaky, high pitched voice. "Hello, Ryo! I've heard a lot about you. I didn't think you'd make it in time. I pictured you to be a lot bigger. Why is your head so small? Taichi's head was a lot bigger than yours. Is it something with you humans that your heads become bigger and smaller all the time?" it asked in its helium induced-like voice, the threads across his mouth lengthening and shortening as it moved.

Ryo found himself having a hard time answer those particular questions from a floating ball of fire that now he could be sure was a dismembered head.

Gennai chuckled and scolded lightly, "Now, now. Let's not give Ryo a hard time. You haven't even introduced yourselves yet."

The ball of flames grinned creepily through its sewn mouth. "I'm PetiMeramon."

Lego Agumon said softly in a girl's voice, "I'm ToyAgumon." Ryo saw briefly that ToyAgumon looked at Agumon shyly and hurriedly looked away when Agumon obliviously looked in her direction. The boy raised a curious eyebrow but didn't say anything.

The red-finned toad snorted and looked up balefully. "I'm Betamon," he said gruffly.

Finally, the black furball bounced up and down excitedly, saying, "I'm Botamon! Nice to meet you!"

Ryo held up his hands and tried to grin, unsure of how to react to the situation. He was saved by Gennai who got up from his armchair and hobbled over on his cane. "I believe our guest is tired. You can have fun with him tomorrow. Come on inside, Ryo."

ToyAgumon said shyly, "You must be tired as well, Agumon. Everything has been fine since he arrived, hasn't it? Why don't you come with meand take a rest?"

Agumon scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess… But I can't join you. I have to speak to Ryo and Gennai," he said.

ToyAgumon looked downcast, but she nodded anyway. "I understand. Take care!" said she before jogging off to join her fellow Digimon.

Ryo gave Agumon a half-lidded, knowing look but the Digimon stared back blankly. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing, come on," Ryo answered as the two of them entered the cottage and closed the door.

* * *

"Whoa, that's so cool! You met Agumon AND Gennai?" Takato was practically fanboying over Ryo's tale. Being a big fan of Digimon, he had heard of stories about the Legendary Chosen Children and their mysterious informant Gennai.

Jianliang looked impressed as well. "Indeed, Ryo-san. I knew you had experience in the Digital World but never would have I imagined that you had such a golden opportunity. You're lucky indeed."

Ruki looked mildly bored. She scooped some fried rice and said, "Yeah, so you met and Agumon and an old geezer. What else is new?" before putting the food into her mouth.

Ryo rolled his eyes and sipped his drink. "You never seem to be impressed, don't you, Your Highness?" he deadpanned.

Ruki choked on her rice and had to drink a gulp of juice before glaring at him. "Don't call me that, and yes I am not easily impressed, at least not by the likes of you."

Jianliang coughed lightly and folded his arms. He shot at Ruki, "Can you please just let him finish his story, Ruki-san?"

Ruki shrugged, replying, "Don't look at me. Takato was the one who interrupted Mr Sunshine."

Takato rubbed his head sheepishly and busied himself with his Salmon Don. Ryo took this as a sign to continue his story.

"So as I was saying…"

* * *

 _A/N: I'm back, guys! Took me long enough with choir, finals and lots of assignments. But the good news is, my summer break has finally started and I should be able to write more often. Perhaps I might even update this story once a week._

 _Sorry to leave this short chapter on a cliffhanger after waiting for so long. I'm pretty excited to continue writing but I also have other stories to juggle. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review to let me know what you think about it and I'll catch you guys in the next chapters of LFAW and MOTOS._

 _Ultimateblack, out!_


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Gennai's home was small but comfortable. For its size, it had a deceivingly spacious interior. Gennai didn't have many furniture, but he had a sofa set, a television, a square table for four, and a pantry. There was a bookshelf filled with leather-bound books but that was pretty much it. There was a staircase leading up to the floor above.

As if reading Ryo's thoughts, Gennai explained, "This is just a place for me to stay. My real house is in fact far away from here and it's much fancier than what you see here." The old man beckoned for Ryo and Agumon to take a seat. Agumon plopped himself on the two seater couch and made himself at home. Ryo tentatively sat next to him and addressed Gennai, who rested in the single armchair.

"Kamemon dear, could you bring us some tea please?" Gennai called. Ryo took the chance to look around. Moments later, a turtle wearing a blue helmet carried a tray with four cups and a teapot into the living room. Ryo raised an eybrow. "There are only three of us," he noted.

Gennai chuckled. "What, you don't expect him not to bring a cup for himself, do you? He's my friend and housemate, not my servant." He patted the turtle on the head. Kamemon narrowed his eyes at Ryo and snorted, then he filled his cup with hot tea and sipped. He let out a relaxed sigh.

Embarassed, Ryo quickly filled up the three cups and took one for himself. He blew the steam off the surface and sipped. Agumon and Gennai too helped themselves to the drink. The tea was fragrant and tasted familiar. Ryo realized it was Oolong Tea.

"How can Oolong Tea exist in the Digital World?" Ryo wondered out loud.

Gennai gave him a smile and set down his cup. "A really good question. The Digital World mirrors the Real World in many ways. There are plants in the Real World that grow here as well, and one of the Chosen Children named Izumi Koushiro stumbled upon them. He was so happy when he discovered that he could have his favourite drink even here."

"Taichi had to remind him to hold back. Koushiro tended to drink too much tea and go to the bathroom often. Taichi used to joke that if he didn't control himself, there might be a neu-Kew-ler explosion, whatever that meant," Agumon piped up. "At least that didn't happen when they first came to the Digital World."

"The first time?"

"Yeah, quite long ago. Those were good old times. We saved the world several times already, but we couldn't defeat Milleniummon. I couldn't save Taichi and the others…" Agumon looked down sadly.

Shaking his head, Gennai said, "You couldn't have done more. Milleniummon has the power of two great foes. You were fortunate to escape and bring me these news. If all of you were captured, then the Digital World will fall. With Ryo's help, you should be able to save them."

Ryo regarded the old man carefully. "Who exactly are you?"

"Me? I'm just an old man who wants to save the Digital World."

Ryo dismissed the answer impatiently. "I mean, what are you doing here? Are you a human? Did you come to this world just like me?"

Gennai stroked his goatee with a thoughtful expression. "Hmm, you can say that I am neither human nor inhuman. I go by the name of Gennai and I was brought to existence in the Digital World and have served it since then. Protecting the world from devastation, uniting the Digimon from all nations, renouncing the evils of truth and love, extending my reach to the stars above… I am…" He struck a pose. "Super Gramps."

The awkward silence that followed was deafening. Kamemon sighed and sipped his tea. Agumon blinked and scratched his head. "That was the first time I heard that," he commented. Ryo rubbed his face and tried hard not to throw himself at the old geezer and strangle him.

Gennai apparently sensed the inherent danger he was in and he cleared his throat. "Back to business, Ryo. You know why you were summoned here, don't you?"

Ryo glanced at Agumon. "Something about Taichi being captured and needing my help to fight Me-whatever-his-name-is-mon?

"You got the gist of it, but let me give you an in-depth briefing. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…" Gennai began but Ryo interrupted him.

"Can you please stop it with the pop culture references and get on with it?"

Gennai pouted and mumbled something that sounded like party pooper before clearing his throat. "Alright, since you're so eager to for exposition, let's get started. Once upon a time — no, I'm not going off track, this is really it – the Digital World was a peaceful place where all Digimon lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the fire nation, err I mean, Devimon and Etemon attacked. The Harmonious Ones, also known as the Holy Beasts or the Sovereigns, take your pick, created 8 Digimon and sent 8 Digivices to the real world, calling upon humans to help defeat this evil."

"These humans were called Chosen Children. Taichi was one of them," Agumon supplied.

"Right. So they were partnered to the Digimon as I mentioned. The Digimon had great power in them, brought out by the bond they shared with their human partners. They fought battle after battle, defeating the worst threats the Digimon World had ever seen such as Vamdemon, The Dark Masters and Apocalymon. Peace was restored but only temporarily."

"Does this have anything to do with the weird occurances back on Earth? The weather was weird, then the sky was ripped apart… Sightings of monsters everywhere…"

Gennai nodded. "Indeed. Most of them were directly related to the Digital World. In fact, the real world is being affected right now as we speak. A new evil has risen and is more powerful than ever before. Its name is Milleniummon, the root of all evil." His tone darkened, spitting out the name with vicious contempt.

Ryo snapped his fingers. "That's the name Agumon said earlier on. He has the power of two monsters, if I'm not mistaken."

Kamemon shuddered and drank his tea a little fast. He coughed while Gennai patted him on the head. The old man said, "It's not just any two monsters. Milleniummon is the fusion of Mugendramon, an old foe that the Chosen Children barely defeated, and Kimeramon. I have neither heard nor seen it before but I suspect that this is either an ancient enemy, or one from the future."

Ryo wrinkled his nose. "That's impossible. How can a defeated foe combine with an enemy from the future? It doesn't make sense."

Chuckling, Gennai stroked his long moustache. "You'll learn that the Digital World is a strange place where nothing is impossible. Anyway, Milleniummon utterly defeated the Chosen Children and the only one I was able to warp away was Agumon."

Ryo looked at the yellow dinosaur. Agumon stared absently at the table, his mind replaying the devastating scene that had happened.

" _Agumon, help me!"_

" _Taichi!"_

A hand on his shoulder tore Agumon away from the horrible memory. Ryo had a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

"I am alright," he answered, but the worried look didn't leave his face. Ryo turned back to Gennai who had paused for a second. The old man resumed his speech.

"Milleniummon has the power to warp space and time. It is a forbidden power, for using it brings the risk of destroying timelines and universes. Our world is but a branch in the tree of space and time. To erase us all from existence, Milleniummon could just cut of the branch. However, doing so could also destroy himself and having the minds of two mighty beings, Milleniummon is not so rash. Instead, he travelled back to the times when the enemies of the Chosen Children were defeated and warped their data away into the present, proceeding to revive them. That is what Agumon told me."

The Digimon lifted his snout at the mention of his name. "The Dark Masters… Devimon… MetalEtemon… all the enemies we fought so hard to defeat were revived. It was like time changed and our battles were rest. Everyone else held them off while Taichi, Yamato, Gabumon and I faced Milleniummon. But…" His mind replayed the devastating effect of the Psycho Blasters.

Ryo remained silent. He knew what happened there after. He squeezed Agumon's shoulder comfortingly as the dinosaur recounted his escape.

"Gennai got me out of there. I wanted to claw my way back to Milleniummon's lair, to rescue Taichi and the others but I was too badly injured. Gennai restored my health and sent me off in search for help. Then I found you, the only one who had enough faith to touch the Digivice. Will you help us, Ryo?"

Ryo recoiled and stood up. He backed away from the couch and shook his head. "Me? No, I can't. I'm just a normal person. If even the Chosen Children couldn't beat Milleniummon then I can't! You ask the impossible from me."

Agumon reached out for him desperately. "Please, Ryo! You're our only hope, so help us!" he begged but Ryo would not be deterred.

"No! Get someone else to do it, I have to get home. My mom is probably worried sick." With that he ran out of the house. He ran straight ahead, turning at random corners and almost tripping over baby Digimon in his path. He pushed past some Digimon, who shouted indignantly. The rest looked out of their shops and homes, surprised to see a human tearing down their streets.

Ryo charged aimlessly, only thinking about getting home. If he could find the place where he arrived, maybe he could get back to the real world and leave this wretched place behind. It was impossible, they couldn't possibly expect him to do such a job! Not looking where he was going, his toes caught a stone and he felt himself losing balance. His body fell forward and he landed flat on his face. He lifted his head and found a few small Digimon staring him right in the face with big, innocent and curious eyes. He got to his feet and they scrambled off in fear, hiding where they thought he couldn't spot them.

Dusting himself off, Ryo checked his surroundings. Alas, he was hopeless lost. All around him were unfamiliar buildings. Agumon had not taken him to this part of town. The Baby Digimon peeked out again, unable to contain their curiosity. They were not anxious to approach him though.

"Children, where are you? Come out this instance, stop playing hide and seek," came a voice. The Baby Digimon turned towards it. The speaker was a male Togemon, jogging over and pausing to catch his breath. The Digimon jumped out and bounced happily around him.

"There you all are. What mischief have you been up to now?"

They looked at Ryo. Togemon glanced at him and his mouth formed a large round O.

"Oh my, it's a human!"

* * *

"Thank you for helping me handle the Babies. They are so naughty and hard to control at this age, and it's an honour to have a human aiding me," Togemon said as he brought a tray with a glass of drink. It was purple in colour and fizzed like soda. Ryo accepted it gracefully and thanked the giant cactus for his hospitality. After a sip, the first flavour that came into his mind was blackcurrant, with a fizzy twist. The evening was turning to night and the two stood underneath a big tree by the school.

"It's no problem actually. I didn't have anything else to do or anywhere to go. It was a pleasure helping you. It took my mind off things actually." Taking care of the babies was hard, for they were restless and they tended to wander off pursuing whatever caught their interest. Currently it was dinner time and they were all eating inside under the care of Lilymon. "Are you the headmaster of the school?" he asked Togemon.

"No, I'm just a teacher and a caretaker. The headmaster of the school is AtlurKabuterimon, but he is off to other schools elsewhere for now. What did you mean by you not having anywhere to go, Ryo-san?"

Ryo sighed. "I'm not from around here. I came from the human world and have no idea how to get home. I don't have a place to return here to either. Meanwhile my mom is probably losing her head over my disappearance and would have called the police by now. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Looking at the 'school', which was actually a square block about three double storey shop-houses combined, Togemon offered, "You could stay here with us. The kids love you and I could really use some help with their care. There are a few empty rooms available and I could set you up with one."

The boy smiled warmly at the offer but he declined politely. "Thank you for the offer, but I must really get going. I have to find a way to get back my world as soon as possible."

"And how exactly do you plan to achieve that?"

Togemon and Ryo turned their heads towards the new speaker. It was Gennai, leaning on his cane for support and Agumon by his side.

Ryo narrowed his eyes and frowned. "How did you find me?" he demanded.

"I told you I am Super Gramps, there's nothing I can't do," Gennai chuckled, "Jokes aside, it was quite simple; the village isn't that big and Agumon followed your scent. Also, we asked for directions. It's not every day that you see a human boy running wildly down the streets. Back to the question, how do you plan to return to your own world?"

Ryo threw his hands up, frustrated. "I don't know, I'll think of something. If I go back to the place where I first came to the Digital World, maybe there'll be a portal or something to get home. Something _has_ to be done or at least tried."

Gennai shook his head sadly, saying, "Milleniummon has control over space and time. Even if you managed to exit the Digital World, there's no telling where or when you might end up. It was pure luck that you were pulled completely into the Digital World with Agumon, or we might have ended up with half a Ryo. Let's say you succeed against all odds to reach the real world without problem, it will be only a matter of time before it is warped and destroyed by Milleniummon."

The boy slumped in defeat. "Is there nothing I can do then?"

Agumon bared his fangs and shouted fiercely, "There is! You can help us defeat Milleniummon! Then everything will return to normal and you can go back to the real world. Please, Ryo! You're our only hope. Do you," he waved his arm around him, "want to see all of these destroyed? Do you want to see these innocent Digimon suffer?" Ryo spared Togemon a look. The cactus was eyeing him warily through the black holes he had. Ryo recalled the lovely evening he had had with the young Digimon. They had a bright future ahead of them, but not if Milleniummon destroyed everything.

"But… I'm just an average boy. What difference can I make? How can I defeat such a strong enemy?"

Agumon took a step forward and raised his claws. "We can, if we work together. We'll assemble the Digimon! If we all work together and combine our power, we can surely win."

Gennai could tell that Ryo didn't believe it so he trotted over and grasped his shoulder with a wrinkled hand. He explained, "We won't strike directly at Milleniummon yet. He has gathered Digimon troops and amassed an army that is scattered all over the Digital World. We can take out those troops bit by bit and shave away at his power. There are definitely Digimon out there who resist Milleniummon's evil will and perhaps they will join forces with us."

Agumon added, "That's right, if it's just me and Ryo then we won't win. But if we have gather friends to fight then we will have a huge battle potential. Please, Ryo. Help me rescue Taichi and the others. What do you say?"

Aware of the expectant gazes, Ryo sighed. "Alright," he agreed, "I'll try. I don't know to what extent I will be of help, but sitting back and doing nothing will not help matters either. I will fight with you and gather comrades as we go along, I promise."

Excited and relieved that Ryo had agreed, Agumon leapt and embraced the boy, causing Ryo to stumble backwards before regaining his balance. "Thank you, Ryo. I am very grateful." He broke the hug and ran off, shouting, "Just wait, Taichi! We're coming to help!" Even Togemon had a relieved expression. Ryo realised the impact of his presence and the job he had just taken up. He now carried the fate of the Chosen Children, the Digital World and the real world on his shoulders. He wondered if he had bitten more than he could chew by making that promise.

Sensing doubt, Gennai patted Ryo on the back. In a soft tone, he said, "Don't fret, young one. You're not alone in this matter. You will have the support and powers of your allies backing you. The Chosen Children had had their own share of difficulties in facing tough foes. If they could succeed then so can you."

"But they failed, didn't they? They got defeated by Milleniummon. A group of them lost, so how can I win? I'm just… me."

Gennai smiled his wrinkly smile. "But you are special. The Chosen Children lost because it wasn't their destiny to defeat Milleniummon, it is yours. In time, Akiyama Ryo, you will learn that you possess a power way beyond that of the Chosen Children. Trust me on this one."

Ryo examined the old guardian's face and had a feeling that Gennai knew more than he was letting on. Resigned, he said, "Very well. I hope you're right."

"I am rarely wrong. Now I believe it's time for dinner. Let's patch you up with a nice meal and good rest, because tomorrow you'll begin your quest to save the Digital World."

* * *

 _A/N: Doing a novelisation is hard, because you need to stick to the script and change as little dialogue as possible. What makes it a headache to work with is the original script, full of awkward dialogue, short and not really fluent. I had to change things to smoothen the flow and add emotion. I always figured that Ryo accepted it too easily in the original, so I improved it._

 _There are so many additions of my own creation in this chapter and further on into the story there will be more as well. The school and Togemon, inspired by the one in Frontier. The running away and rejection, a choice I tend to let my heroes have because frankly, no one should be forced to save the world unwillingly. Gennai's consolation, because he has seen a lot. Also, I had the Oogway-Shifu-Po feeling in here. "It's not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung, it is his!" and it was true._

 _With this long chapter, I am incredibly saddened to be putting this story on hold to focus on LFAW. Like MOTOS, this story has become a burden to carry on with. I don't know why I started 3 running long fics but now, I am giving this up temporarily to focus on LFAW. Once a good chunk of that is done, I will return for this story. Stay tuned and thanks for reading ;)_

 _Edit 5/10/2016: I changed a bit in this chapter because someone pointed out that War Game happened AFTER Anode Tamer so... Thanks to Seska1729 for correcting my mistake._


End file.
